Read excerpts from the book "Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show." If you want to know more, you can watch the documentary that this book is based on online (it's also called "Showrunners").

Career

Learn what it's like to run a TV show.

Search for your favorite TV show and read one of the scripts. Even better if you watch that episode before, after, or even while you read it.

Read a script from your favorite TV show.

Remake part of a show or movie you like or come up with something new of your own. You can film on your phone or digital camera. Get practical experience in what it takes to produce and direct a film. 

Start a film project with your friends.

Writers

Create original written works, such as scripts, essays, prose, poetry or song lyrics, for publication or performance.

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

First Interest High-Point

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Second Interest High-Point

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Third Interest High-Point

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers

Writers and Editors

Writers and Authors

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Media and Communication Workers

Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers.

Choose subject matter and suitable form to express personal feelings and experiences or ideas, or to narrate stories or events.

Plan project arrangements or outlines, and organize material accordingly.

Prepare works in appropriate format for publication, and send them to publishers or producers.

Follow appropriate procedures to get copyrights for completed work.

Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays.

Develop factors such as themes, plots, characterizations, psychological analyses, historical environments, action, and dialogue to create material.

Confer with clients, editors, publishers, or producers to discuss changes or revisions to written material.

Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews.

Write narrative, dramatic, lyric, or other types of poetry for publication.

Attend book launches and publicity events, or conduct public readings.

Write words to fit musical compositions, including lyrics for operas, musical plays, and choral works.

Adapt text to accommodate musical requirements of composers and singers.

Write humorous material for publication, or for performances such as comedy routines, gags, and comedy shows.

Collaborate with other writers on specific projects.

Computer laser printers

Laser facsimile machines

Personal computers

Tablet computers

Apple iWorks Pages

Ashley Software Writer's Blocks

AutoCrit Editing Wizard

Bare Bones Software BBEdit

Blogger

Contour Storyteller

Google Drive

Literature & Latte Scrivener

MasterWriter

Microsoft Word

OpenOffice.org

Power Structure

Ravenshead Services WriteItNow

Red Sweater MarsEdit

RoughDraft

ScriptPerfection Power Writer

Storymind StoryWeaver

Text to speech software

Tumblr

WhiteSmoke

WordPress

Write Brothers Dramatica

WriteWay Pro

Writer/Producer

<p>The Roadtrip team arrives to Los Angeles to interview Larry Weintraub, co-founder of Fanscape. Next the team interviews freelance photographer Jeremy Weiss and Jill Soloway, writer and producer of HBO's Six Feet Under.</p>

Los Angeles

Gosh, I hope I can make this interesting. >> That's pretty interesting. that I wanted to go into advertising. >> That was the plan. [LAUGH] This is my son, Isaac, who's six. >> Look at the face. working in production. do advertising anymore, and that I wanted of movies, or something like that. film production company in Chicago. something that's totally from our hearts, the Brady Bunch, so much. like one point seriously I was asking to do with my life, and he's like, >> It's all I could think of. >> And we watched it and >> To me. and make fun of it constantly, funny to me or interesting to me. like all our friends who were actors, and just did and episode of the Brady Bunch. a football on a stage as a play. because it was funny for us to imagine in those wigs, saying those lines. like it's important. trying to work my way up. make us laugh more than anything. huge, huge, huge thing, and it became like this cult thing, came to the theater to see it. moment of like, what happened, trying to make money, or not from trying ourselves by laughing at our own friends. to learn over, and over and over and success always follows that. of a success, I was writing sitcoms. this, I'm just doing this for money. monologue about being in L.A. friend get on stage and in front of an audience. out loud in front of an audience. they would all say, called Zuzuba, and he printed it. Six Feet Under, and he loved it and >> The most horrible television show. just from doing something. one more time in my life. do anything other than what satisfies what's good. people say what are your interests, Just what actually makes you feel good, even if it's something stupid. >> Yeah, that's the thing, >> About what you like. >> You know? what do you like? even if, you know? >> But once you admit that to yourself and >> That's what it is. >> It's like what you were saying. >> It's like about being a photographer. then you can do it. >> Yeah. >> Like I do photographer, and photographs might be cool too. have been doing photography for myself like, I can do that, too. like, they're photographers, you know? declaring it to myself. 

Fulfillment

Honesty

Passion

Values

Interview

So we did this stage play where we took all of our friends who are actors, and just did an episode of The Brady Bunch. it was Oh My Nose, I think, a football, on a stage, as a play. because it was funny for us to imagine in those wigs saying those lines and treating it like was an important drama. and we weren't doing for the money, production trying to work my way up and us laugh more than anything. huge thing where like tons of people this cult thing and hundreds and to the theater to see it. what happened? trying to make money and not from trying ourselves by laughing at our own friends. had to learn over, and over, and is what forget about what sells. success always follows that. 

Forget About What Sells

[LAUGH] Wrote a short story called Courtney Cox's [INAUDIBLE]. >> It's just this crazy kinda monologue being an assistant to Courtney Cox. just to see my friend get on stage and in front of an audience. out loud in front of an audience. say this is the best thing I've ever read. called Zyzzyva and they printed it, who runs Six Feet Under. I got hired on that show. the most horrible Nicky Cox show. all the way to like the best TV show. one more time in my life. do anything other than what makes you, funny or what's good or like that. 

What Satisfies You

So I was working at like an advertising agency, didn't really know what I decided I didn't wanna and thought that I wanted production or movies... And so I was working production company in Chicago, It's just like this really crazy about being in L.A. to Courteney Cox. I would show it to people, the best thing I've ever read." journal called ZYZZYVA sent it to Alan Ball, he loved it, and I got hired I had to learn that lesson of like, "Don't try and do makes you," you know, your own sense of what's funny or all that stuff." 

Jill Soloway Highlight

These last five years that you've really felt like you had to write and what changed? of doing it or did you really develop- thing, was worth something to somebody. effortless to write well for me. &gt;&gt; And that's why I didn't to be a writer, naturally to me was actually considered &gt;&gt; Up until then, I was like, I'm supposed to be doing? read it, you can go online and read it. write to your best friend in. there's no big words in it. of a really stupid girl. 

Confidence

Doubt

Oh, I'm A Writer

You found something you love, you did it, and you were successful. kind of a word of advice for necessarily know what they wanna do or but advice to help us along. creative things, cuz I know I have advice &gt;&gt; Go ahead. view of yourself and the world, I guess. &gt;&gt; Definitely. What do you think? &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] 

Word of Advice

But the thing I would tell everybody who comes out here now who says, to be a writer first, business but to write a short story or a short film, or just write something. to write a spect script, write a play. get a bunch of actors. not. 

Hobbies & Pastimes

Getting Into The Industry

We spoke with Jeremy Weiss, who's a photographer. if he at all compromises or sound certain things don't. sell as much as other things. I don't even worry about that. and you said it yourself. it's the same thing. what motivates your writing, shows and stuff? I try to write scenes that ring true. yes, that's the way I feel. when people communicate, something, and then he goes, you're funny. then you feel more alive and that moment that you felt the same way. people feel I feel that, too. cool to see that on TV, you know? to try to tell the truth. women and for girls. defined by what guys think of them. by what men think of them. how much are men paying for it. truth about my experience is to me enough, because nobody ever does it. 

Jill Soloway

Writer/Producer

Videos

Jill Soloway

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Television

Writing

Being Creative

Interviewed By

Destination Unknown